Starkville man indicted for statutory rape, exploitation

A Starkville man arrested in November on statutory rape and enticement charges has been indicted by an Oktibbeha County Grand Jury on three separate counts.

Jaquan Owens, who was 18 at the time of the arrest, is facing two counts of child exploitation and one count of statutory rape, according to court documents.

Court documents describe one of the exploitation charges as “willfully, feloniously, and knowingly, by any means including computer … to meet with him for the purpose of engaging in sexually explicit conduct."

The other exploitation charge involves the suspect requesting the victim to provide sexual explicit material.

The Starkville Daily News previously reported that Owens is accused of trying to persuade the 13-year-old victim to meet with him for the purpose of engaging in sexually explicit conduct and of having sexual intercourse with victim.

Owens, who had his initial appearance in Starkville Municipal Court in November, is still in the Oktibbeha County Jail with bond set at $25,000.

He will be arraigned during the April term and an official court date has not been set.

If convicted of statutory rape, Owens could face a minimum of 20 years in prison.